Glasgwegians are being urged to stand in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando tragedy at a 5.30pm vigil on George Square tonight.

A vigil will be held in the square in the heart of the city this evening to allow people to mourn the victims and show their support for the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer) community in the wake of the weekend massacre.

Fifty people died after a gunman opened fire in the Pulse gay club in Orlando, Florida in the early hours of Sunday. The gunman, who has since been identified as 29-year-old American Omar Mateen, took hostages and hospitalised a further 53 people before being shot and killed by police officers.

ISIS have since claimed that Mateen, who is off Afghan descent, carried out the atrocity in their name. His parents have meanwhile denied links to the group, claiming that his motives were purely homophobic.

By Sunday night vigils were being held across Florida, spreading across North America and the rest of the world.

Now Glasgow will hold its own vigil on George Square at 5.30pm.

A memorial with flowers and hand prints is seen in a parking lot near the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida (Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Organised by the Free Pride community, a Facebook post explained: "With the tragic news of the shooting at the gay club Pulse in Orlando, we're holding a vigil in George Square tomorrow evening to show our support for LGBTQ people worldwide, and to provide a space for us to mourn with our community.

"This attack is a reflection of the violence LGBTQ people face daily, not just in the US but across the world, and this violence feels personal for many of us. This was a hate crime against our community, and an extension of the messages that we hear daily that we should not be visible, we should not be out, we should not exist."

Reflecting on the motives behind the attack, the statement continued: "There has already been attempts to blame Islam for this violence, and it's especially important that we come together to condemn this racist scapegoating, and stand with our Muslim LGBTQ siblings. There's been an increase in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation from the GOP, and its there we should be looking for the root causes of the problem, which are the deep-seated homophobia and transphobia in our societies.

"The inclusive support of our whole community, and of the wider Glasgow community, is vital as we mourn the loss of so many lives, and continue to fight the bigotry that allows such attacks to happen in the first place."